Rating: 5/5
A nice thick Ribeye Steak marinated and seasoned then put on the grill with a side of steamed broccoli and wheat berries.
Wine: Errazuriz Single Vineyard Syrah 2007
Notes:
Holy buckets was this steak delicious! 100% pure grass-fed beef and grilled to the cooked side of medium-rare. The meal itself was fairly simple and the marbling on the steak softened so nicely that it didn’t require an overly tannic red to enjoy. A great piece of steak that is cooked to that melt-in-your-mouth perfection really doesn’t need a Cabernet Sauvignon with it no matter what you’re friend’s cousin thinks who claims to know everything about wine. Tannins, those polyphenols found in the solid parts of grapes (and thus in red wine) and from oak aging help break down the fatty parts of meats. Too much tannin and too little fat results in that cottony feeling in your mouth and too much astringency. Too little tannin and too much fat results in you chewing on that gristle and hoping you don’t choke. Given the prevalence of bad steaks cooked in America, I believe the over-generalization of having a Cab. Sauv. with your steak came about. While you certainly want a big Cab. Sauv. with a big, tough steak, my ideal piece of red meat lays in succulence. Marinade and/or slow cooking is the only way to go if you have a good cut. However, if you’re invited to a backyard BBQ and you’re uncertain of the hosts grilling skills, bring a varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. You can at least cover the taste if you have to choke it down. However, the Single Vineyard label from Errazuriz produces a delicious Syrah with a bit of complexity behind it and a decent finish to add to the succulence of a perfectly cooked steak.
Aaron Berdofe's Wine and Food Experience 